The Voyage of the Mayflower
a poem for kids

The Pilgrim family wanted to move
To live in a faraway country.
They had heard of a brand new world
On the other side of the sea

They said goodbye to their friends
Who said “Good luck! Farewell.”
And they went on their journey in two big boats,
The Mayflower and the Speedwell.

They set out from England happy
There was lots of singing and laughter
But the Speedwell suddenly sprung a leak
And started to fill with water

As the water gushed in
Someone said “We’re sinking, we’re sinking!
We’ll never make it to the new world
I don’t know what we were thinking!”

The Pilgrims were very worried
But then they heard a voice.
It was the Captain of the Mayflower,
What he said made them rejoice.

“Do you think I would leave you sinking
When there’s room in my boat for you?
Climb aboard and we’ll soon be sailing,
We have room for 102.”

Everyone got on board.
It was quite a squeeze.
For days and weeks and months,
They sailed across the seas.

Storms blew and the Mayflower
Was tossed on waves and foam,
But the pilgrims were determined
To get to their new home.

At last, after 66 days and nights,
The pilgrims sighted land,
Although it was not actually
The place that they had planned.

They sailed around for a bit more
Looking for somewhere to dock,
And eventually they settled down
At a place called Plymouth Rock.

They found some natives living there
Who all seemed kind and good.
The pilgrims were very hungry
And the natives gave them food.

They gave them pumpkin, corn,
Venison, and turkey.
The thanksgiving meal that they shared
Became a part of history.

So the Mayflower and the Pilgrims
Survived their relocation.
Their children’s children’s children
Became a mighty nation.



Captain Jones led the 102 pilgrims, plus crew, out of Southampton on the famous ship. The Speedwall had been abandoned as unseaworthy – there was a suspicion it was sabotaged by the crew, who did not want to go on the long journey. As a result the Mayflower was severely overcrowded and nearly half those on board died. Those that survived settled in Boston.

If you would like to find out more, see www.mayflowerhistory.com



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